Luminescent
by Princess Dystopia
Summary: Only one thing matters to 16-year-old Kianna: her baby sister. That is, until a brown-eyed boy stumbles into her life. The more he comes around, the quicker her walls fall. What choice will she make for herself, her sister, and Mr. Russell?
1. Drunkard

"Please take this!"

"Miranda, for the last time, no. You know I hate taking handouts from people, especially when its money." There was absolutely no way around the brown eyed woman. Every time I stepped one way around, she stepped in front of me, her palm outstretched with a small bag of Dagols. "I really don't want it. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but Tessa and I are doing just fine on my income."

Gripping the bag in her palm, she put her fists on her hips, giving me an unconvinced glare. "How long has it been since you've gone out to eat?" Before I could open my mouth to answer, she added, "And leftovers from your lunch break at Club Vampire don't count."

Her questioning was beginning to sting. I couldn't take Tessa out to eat as often as I'd like, so her dinners consisted of whatever Dan decided to feed me for lunch during my breaks, which was normally more than I could eat on my own. It wasn't as if I chose leftovers to be the only thing my sister ate.

"Come on, Miranda. Its late. I need to go pay my uncle's pub bill and get back to Tessa."

I stepped to my left and was blocked by her as expected. Before she had time to move again, however, I stepped right and ran past her. I heard her loud groan of frustration behind me.

:-:-:-:

Walking past the brightly-colored houses in the White Town of Stars and Faith, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets, my right hand fondling the small collection of coins. I hoped Uncle Jarvis wasn't at Carl's Pub by the time I showed up to pay his tab. He always argued with me, but eventually gave in.

I began to think about Miranda and how persistent she was to give me the Dagols. Deep down inside, I started to regret not taking her offer. I could really need it, but I would never admit that to anyone but myself.

I shook the feeling of remorse from my head as I walked over the small house with the bridge for it's roof. It had remained vacant for months, and I had thought of moving Tessa and myself into it many times, but it was too far away from the Beast Pit. The rent was probably more expensive, too, and I couldn't afford it.

"Good evening, miss," a Theater Vancoor member said softly as I walked past the large guild headquarters. I gave him a gentle smile, admiring the fact that he had an interest in flowers. For the past year or so, this member of the warrior guild took Tessa out into the fields to pick flowers. She loved to decorate our house with them and always fell into a temporary state of depression when they withered.

"Good evening, Dennis," I replied, turning the corner sharply to find my drunken uncle sparring a boy around my age. A short man in royal-looking clothes stood off to the side, watching them anxiously.

Uncle Jarvis dragged his large sword on the ground with one hand, using his entire body to swing it at the boy, who easily jumped back. "Take…that!" Jarvis slurred, his eyes rolling back into his head for a moment.

With a quick swing of his blade, the boy sent my uncle flying back onto his back. I was thankful for the bulky armor he wore. If it weren't for the suit, he could've been injured badly.

"You're lucky I had them beers, or I'd…I'd kick your…" Uncle Jarvis mumbled before closing his eyes and falling asleep. The light from the streetlamp made his crimson face glow.

"Stupid bigmouth drunkard," the boy mumbled before looking around. "Captain?" He locked eyes with me, and I swear he had the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen in my life. "Hey, did you see a short guy anywhere around here?"

I pointed toward a nearby door that lead to Carl's Pub. "I think he went in there." Honestly, I had no idea where the man went. I'd been too focused on the beating my uncle received.

The boy grabbed the handle and held the door open for me. I grinned at him, nodded my head in thanks, and walked inside the pub. The scent of smoke and alcohol filled my nose and mouth. I resisted the urge to cough.

The bar owner, Giske, snuffed out his cigarette and lifted a hand to wave at me. After accepting a hug from Yuri, I made my way to the counter and sat on a stool, leaning over the wood and placing all the coins I had in my pocket on the surface.

"I think this should cover this week," I told him. "Unless he drank more than he usually does."

Giske scooped the Dagols off the counter after counting them and shook his head. "Paid in full. You want something to drink?" Before I even answered, he was already filling a glass with water.

"Um, sure."

A pathetic sigh from my right caught my attention. The short man from before was sitting next to me, his head nearly in his mug of beer. It was hard to remember the last time I'd seen someone so disheartened.

"So, how's that baby girl of yours?" Giske asked, bringing my gaze away from the unknown man. I wrapped my hands around the cup of water, looking into the clear liquid.

"She's doing well. Still spends every waking moment either running around with Cody or pushing her nose deeper into books at Vareth Institute."

He chuckled, handing Yuri a rag to wipe tables off with. "That little girl has got to be the smartest five-year-old I've ever met."

"She'll be six in about a month. She likes announcing it to everyone."

"Captain, its late. We should go," the boy from before said, putting his hand on the short man's shoulder. The man sighed and straightened up.

"I suppose you're right. A new life awaits at Theater Vancoor!" He sounded drunk, but looking at the one beer he had, I doubted he truly was.

He hopped off the stool and walked out with the boy, holding his hands stiffly to his sides. Giske scoffed once they were gone. "Damn knights."

:-:-:-:

The Beast Pit wasn't as boisterous as the other houses I passed on my way home, but it wasn't exactly the quietest either. The one thing I hated about living there was that there wasn't a time when everyone was asleep. There was always someone awake and walking around.

"Kianna!" a high-pitched voice yelled. I bent down to catch my sister in my arms and held her tight to my body. She wrapped her arms around my neck and wound her fingers through my long hair.

I carried her to the bathroom and placed her on the counter. "Tessa, why are you awake? You know when your bedtime is."

She crossed her arms over her chest, making the cute pouting face I loved. The cerulean eyes that reflected mine narrowed at me. "I don't want to go to school tomorrow," she mumbled. I rolled my eyes and ruffled her messy brown hair.

"Tessarae, you're going tomorrow. I don't pay for you to sit at home and not go."

I turned the warm water on and placed a rag under it. Once it was damp enough, I squeezed out the extra fluid and wiped it on Tessa's face. She filled her mouth with air, puffing out her cheeks. I gently pressed my palms to them, forcing the air out.

"Go change and get in bed. I mean it."

Tessa sighed and stomped off to our room. I walked into the kitchen, looking gratefully at the box I'd brought home my sister's dinner in from Club Vampire. Remembering Miranda's words, a brick of guilt fell into my stomach.

My sister never complained about the food I brought home for her. She eats at Vareth, too, so its not as if she only has one meal a day. The embarrassment of not having enough Dagols to take her out to eat still got to me, though. I wanted more for my sister, but I just couldn't afford it.

I grabbed the box and tossed it in the trash. A small note on the counter caught my eye. Next to it was the same bag Miranda was trying to force on me earlier.

"_Kianna,_

_I know you're going to hate me for this, but I sent the Dagols home with Tessa. Please don't be too mad, and please don't hesitate to ask the Olacion Order for anything. We're more than happy to help._

_Love,_

_Miranda"_

A growl of frustration escaped from my mouth as I crumpled up the message and tossed that in the trash, too. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to me, so I retreated to my room to find Tessa curled up on our bed, snoring softly.

I changed into relaxing clothes to sleep in and crawled in bed next to her. I pulled her close to my body and shut my eyes tight.

Falling asleep was complicated. Everything was rushing through my mind and I felt as if I couldn't catch up with my thoughts. The only conclusion I came up with was that Tessa and I couldn't live like this much longer.


	2. Apology

"Kianna, wake up!"

I groaned, rolling over and lightly smacking Tessa with my pillow. I was never a morning person like my sister, so getting up at six in the morning was the worst thing I've ever had to do. You think I'd be used to it by now, seeing as I do it every morning? No. Definitely not.

While Tessa hurried to wash up and get dressed, I dragged myself out of bed and clothed myself. By the time I was out of the room, she was already gone. I slipped on my shoes and made my way out into the small hallway of the Beast Pit.

Trash and random useful items (pots, children's toys, etc.) were spread out around the place. I kicked them aside as I made my way to Dead End Armory. As I opened the door to the undersized shop, the man who seemed to be too large for the size of the room smiled at me.

When my father died, I was given his job out of pity (at least, I think it was pity). Lunbar, the shopkeeper, had been a friend of his since before I was born, so it was passed down to me. I didn't complain, though. Working two jobs kept me busy and produced enough Dagols for Tessa and me to live comfortably. Well, she was comfortable.

I grabbed my broom from the corner and swept it on the brick floor, being mindful of the pieces of armor and sharp blades that cluttered the store. I dusted the armor carefully, taking extra time on my favorite piece of protection. It was my favorite simply because it was my favorite color: purple.

Once all the merchandise were dusted, I returned the broom to it's original spot and sat next to Lunbar behind the counter. I'd only been working for an hour and I had to stay until five.

The store hardly ever had any customers. Not many people in Radiata bought weapons or armor; they made their own or used hand-me-downs that were said to have some "magical power" or whatever. The only faithful customers we really had were wandering traders and a few people from Theater Vancoor. They usually just needed their weapons fixed, though.

"I'm going to go make a food run. Want anything?" Lunbar asked, placing his huge feet on the ground. I snapped myself out of my daydreaming state and lifted my chin from my palm, shaking my head.

"No, thanks."

"Okay, you're in charge. Remember: emerg-"

I cut him off before he could continue. "Emergency weapons are under the counter. Feel free to use them if anyone comes in startin' stuff." I smiled at him, knowing the routine by heart. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

He gave me a "don't-be-too-cocky" look before opening the door and walking out. I looked at the clock and groaned. Noon.

I folded my arms on the top of the counter and hid my face in them. I hated the days when seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. My mind wandered to Tessa. I wondered if her day was going by as slow as mine.

:-:-:-:

Tessarae's notes and books were scattered across the circular table. "Where did it go?" she whispered to herself. She looked at the clock, staring at it for a moment.

When the big and little hands meet at the very top, its twelve. Half of a half hour is fifteen. The book she'd checked out two weeks ago was due by 12:30.

"Okay," Tessa mumbled out loud. "Its twelve right now so I have…" She raised her hand to the clock, using her fingers to count the minutes between noon and 12:30. With sudden realization, her eyes widened and a horrified gasp escaped her mouth. "I only have six minutes!"

:-:-:-:

I didn't hear the door open or the sound of any feet, so my body jolted in surprise when a hand tapped on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss?"

My head shot up out of my arms and I locked gazes with a pair of brown eyes. The same brown eyes I'd stared into before. A quick glance at the clock indicated that I had fallen asleep. It was nearly four in the afternoon. One more hour, and I was off to my other job.

"Um, y-yes?" I stuttered, trying to get my head together. "Can I help you with something?"

He placed a heavy sword, plain on the counter and smiled. Dimples? "How much for this?" he asked.

I inspected it closely, trying to remember the list of prices Lunbar had told me. Prices matched with the company that made the weapon or armor. "Um, okay let's see. This was made by Unilogrin Company, so…4,800 Dagols."

A frustrated grimace took the place of his smile. "Hm…That's pretty expensive."

I nodded in agreement. "Well, how much Dagols do you have on you?"

He fished in a small bag that was tied to a piece of rope around his waist. I studied his clothes. They weren't what people in Radiata Kingdom wore, even though the variety was large. Everyone wore different things, but there was something about his clothes that told me he wasn't from Radiata, which would explain why he was shopping here.

"I have 8,000." The assortment of coins was spread around the counter.

I leaned back in the chair, thinking hard. Lunbar wasn't back yet (where was he, anyway?) so nobody would hear me, and this kid did teach my drunken uncle a lesson in being…well, annoying.

"Okay, look," I said, leaning closer to him. I felt like a high-paid boss. Yeah, I wish. "I'm not supposed to do this, but its part of my job to compare prices with other stores and look into how much damage and protection the items offer." I pushed the sword back toward him. "Put this back, and grab that purple suit over there. I'll sell it to you for half price, then I want you to go to Verontier Armory in Town Square and buy a Steel Axe. Tell the short man that runs that store that you're a friend of Kianna and he'll sell that to you for half price, too."

The boy was silent for a moment before slowly grabbing the sword and putting it back. He pointed to the Wind Garb and I nodded, counting out 3,900 of his Dagols to take.

"Can I also get your name?" I asked while counting. "Its for a customer appreciation thi-"

I stopped talking mid-word when I looked up. He was holding the garb up to his body, looking to see if it would fit. I wondered if I should tell him that one size fits all, but that would mean he would put it down. I didn't want that. I liked seeing a male actually look good in purple. Never mind. "Good" was an understatement.

"My name's Jack Russell."

I tried not to smile too widely. "All right, Jack. Here's the rest of your money. Remember everything I told you. That armor and the Steel Axe are the best merchandise made by humans that you can buy."

"Thanks, um…Kianna, right?" Jack asked, putting his money back in the bag.

"Yeah," I replied, scooping the coins off the table and into the store's vault under the counter. My heart dropped into my stomach when the door opened the Lunbar walked in. I looked at Jack, tilted my head slightly, and smiled the way I was told to do when handling someone who just bought from the store. "Have a nice evening, sir."

Jack nodded. I knew he knew that my rehearsed line was fake. "You too, ma'am," he said in the same tone I did. He patted the top of the counter twice and walked out, nodding his head as he passed Lunbar.

"Where have you been?" I asked accusingly, glancing back at the clock. 4:30. Half an hour more.

He had an embarrassed tone in his laugh. "I uh, got lost."

"Of course you did."

:-:-:-:

"Hi, Kianna!" Servia, the "head waitress" at Club Vampire greeted me as I walked in. I waved to her and took a seat on one of the stools. Without turning his back to me, Dan, the cook, waved.

"The usual, Kianna?"

"Yeah."

My stomach growled loudly as I watched him cook. Not having eaten all day, I was starving and could eat anything.

As I waited for my food, I heard the door that I'd walked in through open. I didn't lift my head to look, but I felt the tension arise.

I already knew who it was: Nocturne and his "men," Joaquel, Eon, and Elmo. I heard him order Joaquel to sit in a spot and not move while he and Elmo went upstairs. The stool next to me became occupied with a man dressed in purple. I thought of Jack.

"Hey," Eon said. He was the only one from that group who I could still tolerate. Besides, he had been my best friend growing up, before Nocturne found him and took him from me.

I could still remember it clearly. Eon and I had been playing with a pack of rats just outside the entrance to the Beast Pit when we were ten. Nocturne swooped in like a shadow and promised Eon that he could teach him how to heal sick animals, and that was it.

From that point on, Eon's communication with me almost stopped and his personality changed. He was no longer interested in the childish things we used to do. All he cared about were animals and making Nocturne happy. I didn't really care for the ways of making Nocturne happy, which is why I turned the group down when they tried to recruit me. Stealing, beating people, and committing other crimes weren't really my thing.

Although, when Tessa was born and I'd lost my mother, he did somewhat come back to the "light side." He had talked Joaquel into being his "Tessa watch-out" partner. They checked in on her day without her noticing to make sure she was okay and played with her when Cody was sick and couldn't leave the house.

"Hey," I replied. Dan placed the large sandwich in front of me and I took a small bite. I had to save some for Tessa.

Dan pointed to Eon, mentally asking if he wanted anything to eat. Eon raised a hand and shook his head, then looked at me. "Its been a while. How've you been?" he asked, propping his body up on the counter with his elbow.

"I've been okay. Just working all the time. I would ask you how you've been, but I know the answer. You've been amazing, what with stealing things from people and selling them to make a profit." I rolled my eyes, hoping that this time I got onto him about his "lifestyle," he would see my point of view and stop doing what he did.

"Kianna, have we stolen from you?"

"Not yet."

"We won't. So stop nagging me."

"EON!" Nocturne's booming voice echoed from upstairs. I sighed and lowered my head, disappointed that my time with my best friend was so short.

Eon hopped off the stool and patted my shoulder before making a beeline to his boss. I quickly finished my part of the sandwich and gave it to Dan to wrap up.

"I want you out of here by eight," he told me as I grabbed the damp rag to wipe down the counters. "I don't want any perverted guys hitting on you."

:-:-:-:

7:45. My shift was over in 15 minutes, then I could go home to Tessa, go to sleep, wake up, and do this all over again.

People were starting to fill the seats. Groups of people sat with each other in parts of the room, upstairs, and in the casino. Servia and I were so busy carrying drinks, food, and empty plates and cups back and forth that I didn't notice the person sit at an empty table until Dan shouted at me.

"Kianna! Take his order!"

My head snapped up from filling glasses of water and moved to the now-occupied seat. I couldn't help but smile as I made my way to his table.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked, receiving a confused look in return.

"I thought you worked at the armory?"

"I do. This is my second job." Within seconds, I had my pencil and paper ready to write down his order. "So, what can I get you, um…"

"Jack." He almost looked disappointed, which made me feel terrible. I wanted to smack my forehead with my palm, but that would seem weird.

"Right, Jack. I'm just really bad with remembering names. I'm sorry. Anyway, what can I get you, Jack?" My pencil was already pressed to the paper.

"Water."

I glanced up and tilted my head. "Water? That's it?" I looked at the clock. Almost eight. Seven to eight was the normal time people came in for dinner. "You don't want any solid food?"

He shook his head forlornly. "I don't have much Dagols. I did what you told me to with the armor and weapon, and I had enough to buy them both, but it left me with close to nothing."

Suddenly, it felt as if my heart had dropped into my stomach. I hated seeing people go hungry because they didn't have food. I thought of Tessa before I had two good-paying jobs, and how she had to go days without eating.

"Water's free," I lied. "You should spend your money on actual food."

Jack smiled at me and I knew I'd won. "All right. I'll have a sandwich."

I wrote down his order and slipped away through the crowd of men who were watching an arm-wrestling match happen. After setting the piece of paper near Dan's area, I sneakily filled a glass with water and returned it to Jack.

It wasn't really stealing, right? I mean, water was water. You could get it anywhere, and technically I wasn't stealing from my job because it was going to a good cause.

"Here's your water and I'll bring your sandwich to you shortly."

Just as I set the glass on the table, it fell over. I must've placed it down too hard. Luckily, he stood up before any of the water spilled over the edge of the table and onto his lap.

I gasped and instantly reached for a cluster of paper towels in a nearby container. "Oh my gosh, Jack. I'm so sorry! That's never happened before! I'm so sorry," I nearly yelled. I wasn't even sure if he understood me. I think I talked too fast.

Jack only laughed, though, and grabbed the towels from my hands. I could feel everyone in the room staring at us. "Kianna, calm down. Its just water. No big deal."

"But, I-"

"Kianna, come here!" Dan yelled. I flinched and lowered my head.

That's it. I was going to be fired. I would go back to having one job and supporting Tessa and myself on half my usual income. I wouldn't be able to bring her home dinner anymore.

"Yes?" I meekly asked, my head still down. I stared at the cup rings that were stained in the counter.

"What happened?"

Before I could answer, someone nudged my arm with an elbow. Jack was standing next to me. "I'm really sorry," he apologized. I was confused. When I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing, he surreptitiously flicked my palm with his fingers. "Kianna went to give me my water, and I accidentally knocked it out of her hand. It was my fault."

Dan didn't even doubt that Jack was lying. Instantly, he smiled. "No apologies needed. I was just going to ask Kianna if she was distracted today. She seems a little on edge."

I shook my head. "No, I'm okay," I lied. Of course I was distracted. My mind was all over the place and I couldn't focus on just one thing.

He turned his back to us for a moment, then handed me a plate with Jack's sandwich on it. He gave Jack an amused smirk. "Now let her put this on the table before you reach for it."

Jack looked pleased. "All right."

We returned to the table, which was now completely dry thanks to Servia, and I carefully placed the plate on the table. "Don't worry about paying," I told him. "I'll pay it out of my check. It's the least I can do for you lying for me." Before he could answer, I forced a smile onto my face. "Have a good night, sir."

I was a little annoyed. I hated when people took the blame for things I did. Jack really had no right to lie to my boss like that.

I checked in with Dan, reminding him that my shift was over. He told me to be safe, and naturally I told him I would. Jack met me near the door.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked. I walked past him.

"No. I don't live far."

He kept pace with me. "Its pretty cold outside. Do you need a jacket?"

I stopped, turned around, and glared at him as fiercely as I could. "Look Jack, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm fine on my own. I live in this complex, so I don't need to go outside." Like before, I walked away without giving him the chance to say anything.


	3. Dinner

"You're home!"

Tessa's small body attached to my left leg, nearly knocking me over. I grabbed onto the door handle for balance and smiled down at her. Once I was sturdy on my feet, I bent down and picked her up. Her soft, fleeting breaths on my neck made me shiver.

"Did you return that library book?" I questioned her. I could feel her petite hummingbird heartbeat on my chest.

"No," she mumbled against me. Tessa put her hands on my shoulders and propped herself away from me. "But its okay. I talked to, um…I forgot."

I couldn't help but laugh at the confused expression on her face. Along with telling time, Tessa also had a hard time with names. "Leann," I said for her. "The librarian's name at Vareth is Leann."

"I talked to her and she said I can bring it back tomorrow and I won't have to pay."

I set her down on the floor and ruffled her hair. "You're lucky you're cute. You get away with too much." She gave me a yes-I-am-and-I'm-proud-of-it smirk and skipped off to our room. "You'd better find that book, Tessarae!"

"I will!"

I sighed and plopped my body down on the pallid couch my parents had bought when they were alive. It seemed as if my entire body ached and I wasn't sure why. I'd done everything I normally did, except meet Jack.

The frown that appeared on my face at the thought of him was perceptibly grave. Sure, I did feel bad for how I treated him at the end of the night, but he had covered up for me. I didn't want anyone to take responsibility for my actions. Even if he hadn't have stepped in when he did, Dan probably wouldn't have fired me. He wasn't that kind of guy and he knew my living status.

I ran my palm down my face, suddenly feeling the worst guilt I've felt in a very long time. I'd overreacted. To make matters worse, I didn't know where to find Jack to apologize. I didn't know where he lived or his occupation, if he had one.

"Kianna, I found it!" Tessa's voice sounded from behind the closed door.

"Where was it?" I yelled back.

"Under the bed!"

I didn't have the energy to reply to her. I closed my eyes and allowed my head to fall to the side. The next thing I felt was extremely sudden. Tessa's body weight on my lap, and her lips to my forehead. I opened my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She pulled her lips away.

"I learned that if you think someone has a fever, you kiss their forehead. You don't look okay."

I wrapped my arms around her and laid her down on my lap, smoothing out her hair. "You don't kiss their forehead, silly. You put your lips on it to check the temperature. Its more accurate than using the back of your hand. And I'm fine. I'm just sleepy."

She closed her eyes and balled her hands up into fists the way she did when she was littler. I watched her eyelids flutter until the time caught my attention. It was a little after nine, and I'd forgotten the leftovers at Club Vampire.

I was about to ask her if she'd eaten dinner, but her soft snore stopped me. I didn't think it mattered anymore, so I picked her up and carried her to our bed. She looked even smaller when I gently placed her in the center.

I sat at the foot of the bed and lowered my head. Once again, Jack snuck his way into my thoughts. I wondered when I would see him again, if I ever did. Then, an idea popped into my head.

I turned off all the lights in the house and locked the door on my way out, twirling the key around my finger as I headed back to Club Vampire. With any luck, Ortoroz would still be in the Void Community Office behind the Casino.

:-:-:-:

"Kianna, this is unexpected. Its very late, and you're panting. Is something wrong?" Ortoroz inquired when I'd opened the heavy wooden door. I sat on the couch opposite of him and tried to catch my breath.

"I'm okay. I just ran. I need to ask you something."

He leaned closer toward me and smiled in a way that reminded me so much of my dad. "If you need a few more days to pay your rent, its fine. I understand."

Ortoroz had been a friend of my mother's, so I'd known him my entire life. All my rent money went to him, although he usually ended up giving half of it back to me. When my father died, he'd adopted Tessa and me, which wasn't unusual. He was a very kind man, and stepped in as a father-figure to all the orphaned young people of the Void Community, which was a lot more than you'd think.

I shook my head. "No, I'm okay with the money. You'll have it by tomorrow. I have a question about a person." Being the leader of the Community, he had to know details of members of other guilds. I just hoped Jack belonged to one. "Have any of the guilds accepted new members recently?"

Ortoroz leaned back and cupped his chin with his fingers. I stared intensely into his one eye (I wouldn't dare ask what happened to the other) and mentally prayed. "Actually, yes," he finally said. My heart skipped a beat. "I believe Theater Vancoor recruited a new member just last night."

"Do you know the name?" I asked a little too soon.

"If I remember right from what Elwen told me, his name was J…James? No…Jason?"

"Jack?"

"Yes! That was his name!"

I smiled and nearly jumped over the table between us, tackling him back against the couch in a hug. "Thank you!" I didn't waste any time heading for the door.

:-:-:-:

Once again, I was panting heavily by the time I reached Theater Vancoor. I was rushing because I didn't want Tessa to wake up for some reason without me there. I knew she'd be okay, but I just didn't enjoy the thought of it.

"Are you okay?" the receptionist, Thanos, asked when I almost fell coming into the building. He was already standing up to help me, but I raised my hand to stop him.

Feeling the heat of embarrassment on my cheeks, I cleared my throat and stood up straight, dusting off my pants. "I'm okay. Is Jack Russell in, by any chance?"

After Thanos sat back down, he slouched over the counter and shook his head. "You missed him by about five minutes."

Disappointment hit me hard. I tried to think of solutions, but the only one I came up with seemed too childish. It was the only one I had, though. "He'll be here tomorrow, right?" Thanos nodded. "Can I leave him a note?"

Thanos ripped off a small section of paper from a book in front of him. I frowned, thinking of the tantrum Tessa would have raised if she saw that. I hurried over to the desk and grabbed the pencil, scribbling down the message I wanted to give him in my best handwriting.

"Thank you," I told Thanos, accidentally slamming the pencil down on the desk. I just hoped he would remember to give it to Jack.

:-:-:-:

I didn't sleep that night, so dragging my tired self to Dead End Armory the next day seemed like torture. I kept watching the clock, waiting for 5 o'clock to come. It seemed as if years had passed when the clock finally chimed five times. I didn't waste any time getting out of the small store.

I had only five minutes to make it to Vareth, so I decided to run full-speed, avoiding eye-contact with everyone I passed. I didn't want to answer a boatload of concerned questions.

Once I arrived, I stood near the entrance and ran through my "I'm sorry" speech in my head. I couldn't tell you how many times I'd changed my speech while I was trying to sleep. Thankfully, I think I'd perfected it.

I examined everyone that walked by. They either smiled at me and said a polite greeting or glared daggers and continued with their business. I'd asked one man the time, and he told me 5:30. I'd asked Jack to meet me at 5:05.

I waited ten more minutes before giving up. As I dragged my feet to Club Vampire, I wondered why he didn't show. I didn't blame him, though. If I were in his shoes, I would've crumbled up that note and threw it away.

"Kianna!"

I nearly tripped over my own feet at the sound of my name. I turned to see Jack dashing toward me, and I thought he wouldn't be able to stop before plowing into me. I held up my hands in front of my face and shut my eyes tight. I braced myself for a heavy impact, but it never came.

"What're you doing?" he asked. Slowly, my arms dropped down to my sides.

"I thought you were going to run into me," I answered truthfully. Jack amusedly snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I'm an expert runner. I can stop in half a millisecond," he joked. It was at that point that I noticed my heart beating inside my ears. I was so nervous and scared to apologize to someone I hardly knew. "C'mon, Kianna. I'm trying to make you smile. You look upset."

I shook my head, staring at his forehead. I didn't want to look into his eyes. "I'm okay."

"Well, that note said you wanted to talk?"

I inhaled deeply, searching my memory for my speech. My stomach twisted up in knots. Everything I had planned to say was forgotten. That took me all night to think up, and I'd forgotten it all.

"Um, yeah," I said slowly. "I just wanted to say that, um…I'm sorry for how I acted last night."

"It's fine."

Puzzlement filled my head. The night before, I played out this scenario in my imagination. I would apologize, Jack would become angry and turn into a dragon, and then he would breathe fire on me. None of that was happening.

"That's it? You're not mad?" I asked, doubting his forgiveness. Jack pursed his lips and shook his head.

"No. You'd have to do something pretty serious to make me mad."

I forced a grin onto my face. "Well, that's good," I mumbled. "I guess I'll see you around. I've got to get to work."

I turned and began to scurry away, being careful to not trip over my own feet. I'd already embarrassed myself once in front of him today. Twice would be a nightmare.

"Wait a second!" he called. I stopped and closed my eyes. I just wanted to get to Club Vampire and spend the next few hours doing mindless sweeping and repeating, "Hi, my name is Kianna. Can I get your order?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning to face him again. He wasn't as far from me as I'd thought, so I took a step back. The fact that he'd followed me made me a little uncomfortable.

"I know you don't really get the chance to stop and take your time to eat. I mean, it's pretty obvious that you're a busy person. So, would you like to go to dinner?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, shocked. I'd never been asked out to dinner. My meals always consisted of sandwiches at Club Vampire before I started my shift. Speaking of Club Vampire…

"I-I can't," I replied. "I need to get to work."

Jack feigned a disappointed look. "Well, then I guess I am mad at you."

A sense of unfairness washed over us. My mouth fell open and my eyes narrowed at him. "You're _what_?"

"Mad at you," he repeated, then turned and started walking away. "Bye."

I stood there, processing my feelings. Upset, angry, annoyed, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. I watched him walk away, my hands doubled into fists, then ran after him.

"Fine!" I called. He slowed his walking pace and smirked. I just glowered at him. "Fine, I'll go to dinner with you."

:-:-:-:

I'd never eaten at the Begin Eatery before, so I was a little nervous. Especially since I was walking in with Jack. I didn't even want to imagine what people would think.

"Welcome to the Begin Eater- Oh, hi Kianna," Yuri greeted. I smiled at her, surprised that she had a second job, too.

"Hi, Yuri."

She glimpsed at Jack, then at me, then Jack again. "Would you like a table upstairs or downstairs?" she asked. Jack glanced down at me, mentally telling me that it was my choice. I looked around at the other customers. Downstairs was getting pretty crowded.

"Upstairs is fine," I told her.

"Follow me."

She led us to the stairs and I stood near the wall to let Jack pass me. He shook his head and swung his hand slowly toward Yuri. "Ladies first."

"No, it's okay."

He made a frustrated grunting noise and gently pulled me from the wall, putting his palms on my back to push me upstairs. I laughed and ran back around him. We moved in a circle, constantly switching who was leading and who was pushing, until Yuri cleared her throat.

"Okay, _children_, do you want to eat or not?" she scolded in a joking manner. I playfully glared at Jack and walked in front of him, following Yuri to the table she picked for us, which was near the window. Once we were seated, she handed us menus and walked away, telling that she would be back in a few minutes.

"You're so stubborn," Jack told me. I peered over the top of the menu, doing a good job at hiding my smile.

"So are you."

It took me a couple minutes to decide on what I wanted. I made sure to keep the prices in mind, so I picked the cheapest entrée I could find. Just a simple bowl of steamed rice.

"Ready?" Yuri questioned, returning with two glasses of water. She placed them down in front of us, and grabbed a pencil and piece of paper from her pocket.

Jack made eye-contact with me and I looked up at Yuri. "Steamed rice," I told her. I watched her scribble it down on the paper. Then, I looked at Jack. His eyebrows were pulled together in an irritated way. "What?" I asked him.

"That's all you're getting?"

"Yeah?"

He met Yuri's eyes, his expression changing from upset to pleased. "She'll also have your special. Actually, add the special _and _the Roasted Dodo."

Yuri laughed at the squeak of protest that came from my mouth. She looked at me with the your-man-has-money look and quickly added onto the order. "And what'll you have, Jack?"

"I'll have the Radish and Giraffe Stew."

"I'll be back with your food."

She took our menus and Jack smiled at her as she left. His smile disappeared when he looked back at me. I made sure to add a hundred more daggers into my glare. I could tell it made him feel awkward, so he looked at a plant behind me.

"That's a pretty color."

"Do you realize how many Dagols my meal is going to cost?"

He shrugged and took a sip of his water. "It doesn't matter," he said, using his napkin to wipe the water ring the cup left behind. "I got paid today. Besides, you're skinny. You need more food in that tummy."

I was about to argue, when my stomach interrupted me. He smirked boastfully at me, so I decided not to say anything more on the subject. "Are you from here?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. I'm from Solieu Village. I lived with my older sister until recently. I came here to try out for the knights."

The word "knight" caught my attention. "How did that work out for you?"

"I made it…somehow. It didn't last long. My brigade went on a mission and one of my teammates was injured, so they disbanded us. My captain and I went to Theater Vancoor and I was the only one who made it."

The guise of sadness on his face made my heart hurt. A subject change was needed again. "You said you lived with your sister? What about your parents?"

The look of grief was gone and he smiled. "I'm an orphan," he said simply. I became bewildered.

"Why do you seem happy about that?"

"Well, I don't know much about my mom. She died when I was really young, so Adele, my sister, was pretty much my mom growing up. But my dad…He was amazing. He was a knight just like I was, and you're not going to believe this…" He leaned closer to me, so I did the same. "…he killed the Water Dragon."

"The Water Dragon? What is that?"

His eyes went wide. "You don't know about the Water Dragon?"

I shook my head. He was about to tell me about it, but Yuri came with our food. My stomach growled loudly at the smell of everything, but I could tell that I wouldn't be able to eat everything Jack had ordered for me.

"I can't finish all this," I told him once Yuri had left.

"How about this? We share everything, and whatever we don't finish, you can take home. Sound good?"

I thought of Tessa and how I didn't bring her dinner home last night. "Yeah, that sounds fine."

:-:-:-:

"Thank for you tonight," I told him as we walked back to the Beast Pit. Street lamps were beginning to turn on and kids were rushing home. I peeked at the small box of food Jack was carrying (he refused to let me carry it home) and thought of how many dinners Tessa could get out of that.

"No problem. I'd rather spend money on a friend than spend it on something stupid like lotto tickets or something."

I faked a pouting face at him. "Hey, I buy those all the time."

The panic in his eyes was obvious. "I-I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant-"

He gently nudged me when I started laughing. "I'm just joking with you. I've never bought one of those dumb things," I reassured him.

We arrived at the stairs leading up to the Beast Pit. I turned toward him and took the food from him, earning a confused look in return. "This isn't your house," he told me.

"I know, but its not far. I can carry it the rest of the way. Besides, I need to go talk to Dan."

Jack nodded and I was glad he didn't argue with me. I thanked him again and dodged a hug. I used the excuse of holding the food and retreated up the stairs. Luckily, by the time I got to Club Vampire, Dan was still there.

"Hey," I mumbled, suddenly feeling very awkward. "I'm sorry I didn't show up tonight. I mean, I should've told you before…"

He grinned at me and waved his hand in the air by his face. "Don't worry about it. I just hope you and Jack had a good time."

"How did you know-"

"Word travels fast in Radiata. You should know that."

He was right. I thought back on the day my dad died. Everyone else in the kingdom knew before I did. I shuddered at the memory and blocked it out.

"Besides," Dan continued, "I remember what it was like to be young and in love."

I nearly dropped the food on the floor. My heart was in my stomach and I wanted to yell. Instead of arguing, I just forced a smile onto my face and made my way home.

In love? No, definitely not. I met the guy two days ago. Also, I didn't have time to be "in love." I was in love with taking care of Tessa. She was the only person I would ever need in my life.


End file.
